November is one of the best times to be in Bali as a tourist in 2025. Bali is home to a deeply reverent culture, and worship and devotion are deeply ingrained in all aspects of daily life.
This November, Bali will be observing the holy festivals of Galungan and Kuningan, and tourists may already be feeling the buzz about town.
Galungan and Kuningan fall every 210 days according to the traditional Balinese Pawukon calendar. This means it generally falls twice within a Gregorian calendar year.
The first cycle of Galungan and Kuningan was observed in April and May this year. Galungan fell on 23rd April and Kuningan was celebrated on 3rd May.
Galungan and Kuningan are two of the most important and most sacred festivals for Balinese Hindus. Galungan is celebrated to honour the triumph of good over evil, or of dharma over adharma, and is the day that ancestral spirits return to earth to bless families. Ten days later, Kuningan is honoured, which marks the return of the ancestors to the spirit realm.
The 10-day festival is filled with traditions, ceremonies, and rituals. Tourists and holidaymakers in Bali in the coming weeks won’t be able to help but see the preparations and festivities underway, and may even be lucky enough to be invited to get involved with elements of the festival.
Galungan and Kuningan are all about family and community, and Bali is one of the most culturally generous destinations in the world. It is not uncommon for tourists to be invited to ceremonies and prayers by their local hosts and local friends.
The days before Galungan are busy for Balinese people; there is a lot to prepare for the 10 days of festivities. Each of the days leading up to Galungan has a specific name, a designated set of rituals, and its own purpose contributing to the Galungan and Kuningan celebrations.
Three days before Galungan is called Penyekeban. On this day, families begin to ripen their bananas and ceremonial fruit offerings at home. The word Penyekeban is derived from ‘nyekeb’, which translates to mean ‘cover’. This is a relaxed day of quiet contemplation and cleaning of the home and wider community spaces, preparing for the days ahead.
Two days before Galungan is known as Penyajahan, and this day is all about the sweeter things in life. Generally, the women of the community will gather, or the women from extended family connections will gather in one home to prepare the treats and desserts.
The day before Galungan day is called Penampahan and is often the busiest day of preparations. Tourists staying in local villages will see both men and women rushing around as families and communities gather to prepare traditional lawar (spiced minced meat) or babi guling (suckling pig).
Meat is often prepared from animal sacrifices that take place at community temples.
The evening before Galungan is the most visually impressive for outsiders. On the eve of Galungan, families will raise their penjor outside their homes.
The penjor is a tall bamboo structure that is ornately decorated with coconut leaves, palm leaves, rice, and other colourful offerings.
While there is no traditionally mandated preparation for Kuningan Day, families will spend the day preparing feasts, including yellow rice, or nasi kuning, the colour from which the day gets its name. In Balinese culture, yellow is associated with purity, prosperity, and hope.
On this day, Balinese Hindus believe that the ancestors return to the spirit realm, and so the feasts and offerings are made to enable their safe and easy journey home.
Tourists who are not in Bali for this year’s Galungan and Kuningan can time their 2026 vacation for these special festivals.
In 2026, Galungan and Kuningan will be observed just once and will fall between 17th and 27th June.
In 2027, Galungan and Kuningan will be observed twice. The first cycle will be observed between 13th and 23rd January and 11th-21st August.
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